Copyright 1993, Jennifer A. Hawthorne. All rights reserved,
but I'm not stuffy about it as long as you don't go overboard.

Synopsis: "Past Prologue"

Episode Number: 404
Air Date:       1/09/93

	As the show opens, Dr. Bashir is sitting alone in the
dining area, enjoying a drink, when he is approached by a 
Cardassian with an obsequious manner. The Cardassian, who 
introduces himself as Garak, a clothier, engages the young 
doctor in conversation, which Bashir finds disquieting. As 
they talk, Bashir nervously makes inquiries about Garak's 
purpose on the station, implying that he acts as an 
informant for his race; Garak reacts to this fanciful 
notion with comical surprise. After making overtures of 
friendship to Bashir, Garak excuses himself, patting the 
uneasy doctor on the shoulders on his way out, to Bashir's 
consternation.
	Bashir charges into Ops, very excited that the Cardassian
spy has made contact with him. He wants to help catch 
Garak; the rest of the Ops crew are underwhelmed with 
Bashir's wild ideas. The doctor's ramblings are interrupted 
when Kira spots a couple of ships entering Bajoran space; 
it turns out to be a Cardassian warship in pursuit of a 
damaged Bajoran scout. Sisko tries to warn off the 
Cardassian ship, but it does not stop; the Bajoran ship 
contacts the station with audio, and the pilot's voice 
requests asylum. Sisko questions the pilot, but before the 
Bajoran can answer, his vessel begins to come apart at the 
seams. O'Brien transports the pilot into Ops just as the 
scoutship explodes.
	Kira and Bashir rush to the aid of the injured pilot. The
man gasps out another request for asylum, then looks up 
and sees Kira. Recognition is mutual.
	As the wounded man is taken down to the infirmary, Kira
tells Sisko that his name is Tahna Los, and that the two 
of them fought together in the Bajoran underground. The 
Cardassian ship hails the station, and the captain demands 
that the Bajoran man be turned over to them immediately. 
Sisko says the man has asked for asylum, and that his 
request is being considered. The Cardassian tells Sisko 
that the pilot is "Khon Ma", a terrorist, and should not be 
granted asylum by anyone; Sisko promises to investigate the 
matter before making his decision, and "invites" the 
Cardassian commander aboard the station to explain his 
actions. When the connection is closed, Sisko tells O'Brien 
that Lt. Dax should keep the Cardassian ship busy with 
docking protocols until he has a chance to talk with Tahna 
Los.
	On the way to the infirmary, Sisko questions Kira about her
involvement with the terrorists. She denies being a part 
of the Khon Ma, but under pressure admits that Tahna *is*. 
Sisko points out that the Khon Ma have continued to murder 
Cardassians and even some Bajorans after the Cardassians 
left Bajor, and forcefully tells Kira that he won't have 
his station being used as a shelter for terrorist 
activities. Kira, furious, yells back that Bajor will need 
men like Tahna to help rebuild, and says that splinter 
groups like the Khon Ma will have to be repatriated sooner 
or later. This is an opportunity that Kira doesn't want to 
be missed.
	In the infirmary, Dr. Bashir is tending to an unconscious
Tahna when Kira and Sisko enter. Tahna's injuries are not 
serious, although he bears signs of having been tortured by 
the Cardassians more than once in the past. As they are 
talking, Tahna awakens, and reacts with surprise to Kira's 
new rank of major. Kira tells him that she is still 
fighting for Bajor in her own way, and Sisko sends her and 
Bashir away so he can talk with Tahna in private. Sisko 
asks Tahna why the Cardassian ship was pursuing him; Tahna 
sidesteps the question. He admits to having committed acts 
of terrorism against the Cardassians since they left Bajor, 
but tells Sisko that he is tired of the violence and ready 
for it to end.
	Elsewhere on the station, Kira has contacted a Starfleet
admiral in order to complain about Sisko's handling of 
matters with Tahna; the admiral thanks her for her concern 
and assures Kira that she will stay in contact with the 
situation.
	In Ops, O'Brien tells Sisko that Dax is continuing to stall
the Cardassians, and then says that he hopes Sisko isn't 
planning to turn Tahna over to the Cardassians, as that's 
not something O'Brien would want to see happen to any man. 
A subspace transmission from a Starfleet admiral arrives 
for Sisko; he takes it in his office. It's the Admiral with 
whom Kira was speaking earlier. She informs him that he has 
a problem with one of his subordinates. Sisko agrees.
	Kira goes to visit Tahna in the infirmary. They discuss old
times briefly, and Kira assures Tahna that she won't let 
Sisko give him to the Cardassians.
	Sisko conducts an interview with Gul Dunar, the Cardassian
commander who was chasing Tahna. Dunar is irritated over 
the long delay in docking, and threatens Sisko with a 
diplomatic incident if Tahna is given asylum. Sisko tells 
Dunar that Tahna has renounced the Khon Ma and wishes to 
help rebuild Bajor, and that therefore, regardless of the 
Cardassian's wishes, Sisko has decided to grant Tahna's 
request. If the Cardassian wishes, he is free to pursue the 
matter once Tahna is repatriated to Bajor.
	Kira shows Tahna to his guest quarters, and they discuss
the matter of the Federation's involvement with Bajor and 
Kira's involvement with the Federation. Tahna is even more 
vehement than Kira that the Federation's involvement with 
Bajor should never have been allowed to happen. Kira urges 
him toward moderation, saying Bajor needs Starfleet to keep 
the Cardassians away from the wormhole, which is required 
for Bajor to become a power in the Quadrant. Tahna doesn't 
care about Bajor's power; he wants Bajor for the Bajorans, 
free of outside interference. This speech wakens doubts in 
Kira about Tahna's motivations, but he insists that he 
truly is no longer with the Khon Ma. Kira tells him she is 
working on obtaining an offer of amnesty for Tahna, and any 
other Khon Ma who wants to follow him, and Tahna seems 
inclined to accept it.
	On the Promenade, Odo arrives at the scene of an
altercation. A pair of Klingon females, Lursa and B'etor 
of House Duras, have arrived on the station, and refused to 
give up their weapons, resulting in a standoff with Odo's 
security people. Odo asserts his authority and the pair 
reluctantly surrender their guns.
	Odo reports this event to Sisko, who fills him in on the
history of the Duras sisters. Neither Sisko nor Odo is 
happy about their presence on the station, but when Odo 
suggests locking up the pair and calling the Klingons to 
come and get them, Sisko points out that they haven't done 
anything wrong on the station, and therefore can't be 
detained. Odo complains, "Cardassian rule may have been 
oppressive, but at least it was...*simple*." Sisko orders 
him to keep an eye on their new guests.
	In Quark's, the sisters are sitting and waiting on the
second level, while Garak the Cardassian watches them from 
his seat on the first level. Dr. Bashir walks in and sits 
down with Garak, making conversation, and Garak directs his 
attention to the Klingon sisters, and a moment later, to 
the just-arriving Tahna Los. They watch as the Klingons get 
up and head off with Tahna.
	The sisters and Tahna meet in a remote part of the station,
where water drips and a rat scurries across the floor. 
Tahna owes the Klingons money for something unspecified; 
the sisters threaten his life if he does not pay up. Tahna 
says the money will be arriving on the following day. The 
three depart, and the scurrying rat reappears, then morphs 
and becomes a thoughtful Odo.
	In Ops, a gleeful Kira informs Sisko that she has secured
amnesty for Tahna, and that two more Khon Ma will come 
over as well if their safety is guaranteed. Sisko gives his 
guarantee, and Kira thanks him and praises his decision, 
which prompts Sisko to suggest that she might tell the 
Admiral that the next time they speak. He ends with, "Go 
over *my* head again -- and I'll have *yours* on a 
platter."
	In Sisko's office, Odo reports to Sisko that Tahna has a
business arrangement with the Klingons, and that the 
payment is on its way. Sisko tells Odo about Kira's other 
two Khon Ma who are soon to arrive, probably with the 
money, and further tells the Constable that Kira should not 
be informed of these developments, for the moment.
	Lursa and B'etor pay a visit to the shop of Garak, the
Cardassian clothier. They wish to make a deal with Garak, 
as a representative of the Cardassians, for the delivery of 
Tahna Los. Garak at first demurs, but then admits that he 
might be in a position to bargain for that. They begin to 
haggle over the price.
	Kira visits with Tahna again to tell him that she has
succeeded in obtaining amnesty for him and anyone who 
follows him. Tahna complements her on her spirit, but it 
becomes obvious from his words and manner that he had some 
definite purpose in coming to the station. Kira realizes 
that Tahna has been lying to her, and that his arrival on 
DS9 was no accident, but a deliberate attempt to contact 
Kira herself. Tahna identifies himself as Khon Ma once 
again, and he and Kira have a heated argument about what 
action is required to secure Bajor's freedom. Tahna reveals 
that the Khon Ma plan to drive the Federation off of Bajor, 
but promises that there will be no violence involved. To 
complete this plan, the Khon Ma require a small ship with 
warp capability, and Tahna wants Kira to get it for them. 
He says, "In one move, and non-violently, we accomplish 
everything both of us have ever wanted for Bajor." Kira 
presses him for details, but he refuses to divulge the 
plan. She comments to Tahna that she could just go and tell 
Sisko about this conversation, and Tahna replies, "Well, if 
you do, then we'll both know where your loyalties, are, 
won't we?"
	Dr. Bashir is sitting in the dining area again when Garak
walks up. Bashir begins to banter with the Cardassian, but 
Garak is unusually grave. He tells the puzzled doctor that 
it's time to start being seriously concerned about the 
arrival of the two new Khon Ma terrorists on the station. 
As Bashir reacts in alarm, Garak suggests that the two of 
them working together might be able to uncover the 
terrorists' plans. Over Bashir's protests and confusion, 
Garak urgently suggests that the doctor should come by his 
clothing shop at *exactly* 20:55 that night, to "buy a new 
suit." A befuddled Bashir agrees, and excuses himself.
	Up in Ops, Sisko asks Kira about the two newly arrived
terrorists -- does she trust them the way she trusts 
Tahna? Kira pauses, then confirms that she does. Before the 
conversation can proceed, Bashir enters, calling for 
Sisko's attention, and Kira seizes the opportunity to 
leave. Bashir tells a distracted Sisko about his meeting 
with the Cardassian, which Sisko seems disinclined to take 
an interest in -- until the doctor mentions that it has 
something to do with the terrorists, and Sisko's attention 
is caught. Sisko comments that Garak is probably trying to 
open an unofficial communication channel with the 
Federation people, and urges Bashir to meet with Garak as 
the Cardassian requested, saying, "I think, Doctor, you 
could definitely use a new suit."
	A disturbed Kira goes to speak with Odo in his office. At
first she makes small talk, but then confesses to the 
Constable that she is confused about who the enemy is, and 
who she should be fighting. She is unable to decide if 
Tahna is right about the Federation, and whether or not she 
should help him. "Either way...I betray someone." Odo says, 
"The only thing that is important is not to betray 
*yourself*." Kira considers taking a neutral position, 
neither helping nor hindering the Khon Ma's plan, but 
realizes that the Khon Ma would just find some way to 
complete their plan without her. "It was so much easier 
when I knew who the enemy was." Odo then summons Sisko to 
Security to hear Kira's story.
	Bashir arrives at Garak's shop two minutes late, to Garak's
agitation. The clothier thrusts a jacket into the doctor's 
hands and shoves him into a dressing room without allowing 
Bashir to get a word out, telling him to stay put and be 
*very* quiet. A minute later, the two Klingon sisters enter 
the store, and, as Bashir listens, they seal an agreement 
with Garak for the delivery of Tahna to the Cardassians. 
Garak convinces them to reveal the details of the 
arrangement: they are to rendezvous with Tahna in four 
hours on the dark side of Bajor Eight's lower moon, and 
sell him a cylinder of "bilitrium". They depart. Garak lets 
Bashir out of the dressing room, and explains to him that 
bilitrium is an element that, when combined with a 
matter-antimatter converter, makes an excellent bomb. And 
the reason that the Cardassians were chasing Tahna in the 
first place is because he had successfully stolen the 
required converter.
	There is a staff conference in Ops as the crew discuss the
situation and what action to take. It is decided that if 
the terrorists are allowed to obtain the bilitrium, they 
can be caught with the makings of a bomb in their 
possession and held on conspiracy charges. Therefore, it 
will be necessary to let Tahna use a Runabout to make the 
rendezvous. Kira insists, over Sisko's doubts, that she 
must accompany Tahna on the ship, or his suspicions will be 
aroused.
	Kira and Tahna board the *Yangtze Kian*, while Sisko and
O'Brien, already at the rendezvous point in the *Ganges*, 
await their arrival. On the *Yangtze Kian*, Tahna charges 
up his converter as a Klingon ship uncloaks nearby, to 
Kira's feigned surprise. Lursa and B'etor transport aboard, 
quickly trade the cylinder of bilitrium for Tahna's sack of 
gold, and depart. As soon as the Bird of Prey leaves, the 
*Ganges* moves to intercept her sister ship. Tahna realizes 
that both a Runabout and a Cardassian warship are headed 
for them, and orders Kira to take the *Yangtze Kian* into 
warp. Kira refuses, and lunges for a phaser, but Tahna 
fells her with a punch and takes the weapon away. He covers 
the major with the phaser, ordering her to set course for 
the station; if she does not, he will set off the device, 
which will destroy thousands of people in the colonies on 
Bajor Eight. Kira gives in, and the Runabout heads toward 
DS9 as the *Ganges* and the Cardassian vessel pursue.
	Sisko hails the *Yangtze Kian*, threatening to fire, but
Tahna replies that if he does, the device will be 
detonated, spreading radiation throughout the system. On 
board the *Yangtze Kian*, Tahna orders Kira to change 
course away from the station and toward the wormhole, and 
Kira realizes that his plan is not to attack DS9, but to 
destroy the wormhole, thus removing the source of both 
Federation and Cardassian interest from Bajor. Kira is 
aghast, and as Tahna orders her to take the ship out of 
warp, she instead slams the control panel and the ship 
lurches, throwing both her and Tahna to the wall. Instead 
of flying past the wormhole, the *Yangtze Kian* enters it, 
as Kira and Tahna fight for control within. The ship 
emerges in the Gamma Quadrant seconds before Tahna finally 
evades Kira and hits the button to launch and detonate the 
device. It explodes harmlessly in open space.
	The *Ganges* follows the *Yangtze Kian* through a moment
later. Sisko hails the ship, demanding Tahna's surrender, 
but Tahna threatens to kill Kira unless Sisko does as Tahna 
asks. Sisko informs him that he has a choice of 
surrendering now to the Federation, or of surrendering to 
the Cardassians when they arrive in a moment. Tahna, 
trapped, hands the phaser to Kira and surrenders.
	Kira brings Tahna into the station at gunpoint and Odo
shackles him and leads him away. As he goes, Kira tries 
once more to convince Tahna that his methods were wrong. He 
replies with a single word: "Traitor."

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Copyright 1993, Jennifer A. Hawthorne. All rights reserved, but I'm
not stuffy about it as long as you don't go overboard.
